Ndayishimiye Elected AU Chair as African Leaders Rally for Unity and Water Security at Addis Summit

By Kimagata Marindany

African leaders have elected Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye as Chairperson of the African Union (AU) for 2026, as the continental bloc opened its 39th Ordinary Session with a strong call for unity, institutional reform and urgent action on water security.

The two-day summit at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa is convened under the theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

President Ndayishimiye assumes the rotating leadership from Angola’s President João Lourenço, pledging continuity in advancing continental integration and reform.

Opening the Assembly, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf framed access to water as a shared public good critical to peace, development and public health.

He warned that the summit is taking place amid mounting geopolitical turbulence, persistent conflicts, institutional fragility and a resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in parts of the continent.

Against a backdrop of weakening multilateralism and rising global polarization, Youssouf urged member states to fast-track political and economic integration in line with African Union’s long-term blueprint, Agenda 2063.

“Institutional reform and financial self-reliance are now imperative as external funding declines,” he said, calling for stronger domestic resource mobilization and accelerated implementation of flagship programmes in industrialization, agriculture, energy and infrastructure.

He also noted growing expectations among Africa’s youth, women and civil society, stressing that the current decade must deliver measurable and transformative results.

Reflecting on Angola’s tenure at the helm of the AU, President Lourenço highlighted progress in advancing continental integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area, mobilising infrastructure investment and implementing reforms aimed at improving the Union’s efficiency.

On peace and security, he stressed that Africa’s development hinges on “silencing the guns,” citing conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the spread of terrorism across the Sahel and the Horn of Africa.

He reaffirmed the AU’s firm rejection of unconstitutional changes of government and cautioned against legitimising military coups through subsequent elections.

Host leader Abiy Ahmed urged African states to shift from reacting to global events to actively shaping them, particularly as the AU approaches its 25th anniversary.

He called for unity, confidence and stronger continental influence in global affairs, arguing that sovereignty includes owning Africa’s narrative and technological future.

Abiy pointed to Ethiopia’s establishment of an Artificial Intelligence institute and plans for an AI university as examples of forward-looking development aligned with Agenda 2063.

Addressing the summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union.

He reiterated support for reform of the UN Security Council, including enhanced African representation, and called for equitable access to financing, industrialisation and sustainable development support for African countries.

The summit continues with high-level discussions focused on water security, institutional reform and accelerating Africa’s development agenda amid shifting global dynamics.